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Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 raised, 2 lowered, 1 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Organic revenue growth highest since 2023: Revenue was $1.00 billion, down 2.7% from $1.03 billion a year earlier. Organic revenue rose 0.1%, the highest organic growth level since the third quarter of 2023. Source
  • GAAP loss from divestiture charge: GAAP result was a loss of $(0.03) per diluted share, against $1.06 a year earlier. The main cause was a $63.7 million loss, or $1.40 per share, on the CDMO and Cell Solutions divestiture. Source
  • Full-year guidance raised on DSA and Manufacturing: Revenue, organic revenue and non-GAAP EPS guidance for 2026 were raised, mainly on improving DSA demand and better-than-expected Manufacturing performance. GAAP EPS guidance was lowered. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin fell to 20.5%: Non-GAAP operating margin was 20.5%, down from 22.1%, mainly on higher DSA study-related direct costs and higher unallocated corporate costs. Source
  • Demand improved broadly across client types: Management said DSA demand strengthened in the quarter, with the improvement broad across global biopharmaceutical and small and mid-sized biotechnology clients. Source
  • European, CDMO and Cell divestitures completed: The company completed the sale of certain European Discovery Services sites and of the CDMO and Cell Solutions businesses in May 2026. Source
  • Pathway to Purpose strategy continues: Management said it is evaluating ways to modernize the company and drive greater efficiency under its Pathway to Purpose strategy. Source

“We made excellent progress in the second quarter on the execution of our Pathway to Purpose strategy.”

Birgit Girshick, Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue growth, reported Source2026 full year(3.5)% - (2.5)%Raised from (5.5)% - (4.0)%
Revenue growth, organic Source2026 full year0.0% - 1.0%Raised from (1.5)% - (0.5)%
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Source2026 full year$11.15 - $11.45Raised from $10.80 - $11.30
GAAP diluted EPS Source2026 full year$3.05 - $3.35Lowered from $5.35 - $5.85
Impact from divestitures on reported revenue Source2026 full year~4.5%Lowered from ~5.0%
Favorable foreign exchange impact on reported revenue Source2026 full year(0.5)% - (1.0)%Kept
Acquisition-related amortization (per share) Source2026 full year~$2.30Kept
Acquisition- and divestiture-related costs (per share) Source2026 full year~$4.75Raised from ~$2.30
Restructuring and efficiency costs (per share) Source2026 full year~$1.20Raised from ~$0.85
Other, net (per share) Source2026 full year($0.17)New

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year reported revenue and non-GAAP EPS guidance were increased; the prior guidance date was May 7, 2026. Source
  • Guidance raised: Organic revenue guidance rose by 150 basis points and non-GAAP EPS guidance rose by $0.25 at the midpoint. Source
  • Guidance lowered: GAAP EPS guidance was reduced, due primarily to the net loss related to the divestitures. Source
  • New: The sale of certain European Discovery Services sites was completed in May 2026; the first-quarter release had said it was expected in May 2026. Source
  • New: The company joined Eli Lilly's TuneLab AI/ML platform, providing non-clinical testing expertise. Source
  • New: An Investor Day was scheduled for September 24, 2026. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Organic revenue growth highest since 2023: Revenue was $1.00 billion, down 2.7% from $1.03 billion a year earlier. Organic revenue rose 0.1%, the highest organic growth level since the third quarter of 2023. Source
  • GAAP loss from divestiture charge: GAAP result was a loss of $(0.03) per diluted share, against $1.06 a year earlier. The main cause was a $63.7 million loss, or $1.40 per share, on the CDMO and Cell Solutions divestiture. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS down on lower margin: Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $3.02, down 3.2% from $3.12, on non-GAAP net income of $146.2 million. A $0.19 per share deferred compensation investment gain partly offset the lower operating margin. Source
  • Full-year guidance raised on DSA and Manufacturing: Revenue, organic revenue and non-GAAP EPS guidance for 2026 were raised, mainly on improving DSA demand and better-than-expected Manufacturing performance. GAAP EPS guidance was lowered. Source

Segments and regions

  • RMS revenue fell on North America demand: RMS revenue was $209.5 million, down 1.8%; organic revenue fell 1.4% on lower small research model revenue in North America and two research model services, partly offset by China. Non-GAAP margin was 24.5%, down from 25.3%. Source
  • DSA organic growth on safety study volume: DSA revenue was $606.5 million, down 1.9% as reported. Organic revenue rose 0.2%, driven by higher study volume for regulated safety assessment services. Source
  • Manufacturing organic growth from Microbial: Manufacturing revenue was $188.1 million, down 6.3%, mainly on the CDMO divestiture. Organic revenue rose 1.3%, driven by Microbial Solutions. Source

“We were encouraged that the demand environment continued to strengthen in the second quarter, particularly for our DSA segment, as evidenced by the fact that we recorded the highest net book-to-bill in nearly four years.”

Birgit Girshick, Chief Executive Officer

Margins and costs

  • Non-GAAP operating margin fell to 20.5%: Non-GAAP operating margin was 20.5%, down from 22.1%, mainly on higher DSA study-related direct costs and higher unallocated corporate costs. Source
  • GAAP operating margin rose to 11.9%: GAAP operating margin was 11.9%, up from 9.7%, mainly from the CDMO business, including lower accelerated amortization on certain client relationships. Source
  • DSA GAAP margin rose on lower amortization: DSA non-GAAP margin fell to 25.6% from 27.4%. GAAP margin rose to 20.5% from 19.9%, reflecting lower amortization from the European Discovery divestiture and lower NHP-related legal costs. Source
  • Manufacturing margins rose after CDMO divestiture: Manufacturing non-GAAP margin was 37.8%, up from 32.8%, and GAAP margin was 34.9%, up from 6.0%, after the CDMO divestiture. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Demand improved broadly across client types: Management said DSA demand strengthened in the quarter, with the improvement broad across global biopharmaceutical and small and mid-sized biotechnology clients. Source
  • Goal to capture more R&D spending: Management aims to capture a larger share of clients' R&D spending through client-centric solutions, global scale and scientific expertise. Source

“and are raising our revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share guidance for the year”

Birgit Girshick, Chief Executive Officer

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Repurchased $100 million of stock in Q2: The company repurchased $100 million of common stock in the second quarter at an average price of $174 per share. Source
  • $700 million left on authorization: At June 27, 2026, $700.0 million remained under the $1.0 billion repurchase authorization approved October 29, 2025. Year to date, 1.7 million shares were repurchased for $300.0 million. Source
  • Six-month operating cash flow lower: Operating cash flow was $220.8 million for the six months, against $376.3 million a year earlier. Capital expenditures were $87.0 million. Source
  • Acquisitions and higher debt: Acquisitions of businesses and assets used $467.3 million of cash in the six months. Long-term debt, net and finance leases rose to $2.62 billion from $2.14 billion at year end. Source

Portfolio changes and deals

  • European, CDMO and Cell divestitures completed: The company completed the sale of certain European Discovery Services sites and of the CDMO and Cell Solutions businesses in May 2026. Source
  • Joined Eli Lilly TuneLab platform: Joined Eli Lilly's TuneLab AI/ML platform, providing non-clinical testing expertise to optimize drug discovery and advance R&D modernization. Source
  • Arovella collaboration through PathoQuest: The company is collaborating with Arovella Therapeutics on in vitro next generation sequencing services, added through the PathoQuest acquisition. Source

Strategy, products and investment

  • Pathway to Purpose strategy continues: Management said it is evaluating ways to modernize the company and drive greater efficiency under its Pathway to Purpose strategy. Source
  • Enhanced digital pathology solution introduced: An enhanced digital pathology solution was introduced to digitize and automate the company's work, aimed at faster study turnaround and pathologist efficiency. Source
  • Portfolio centered on regulated testing: Management described the portfolio as centered on regulated testing, with the aim of enhancing the growth profile. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • Investor Day on September 24: The company will host an Investor Day on September 24, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. ET, webcast on its investor relations site. Source
  • Continued focus on strategic goals: Management said it is focused on continuing to move forward on its strategic initiatives and financial goals. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net book-to-bill SourceHighest in nearly four years

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: RMS organic revenue fell on lower small research model demand in North America and for two research model services. Source
  • Operational: Higher study-related direct costs were the main driver of the decline in DSA non-GAAP operating margin. Source
  • Financial: Management expects a higher tax rate to largely offset the second-quarter deferred compensation gain for 2026. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the company delivered its second-quarter financial targets, exceeding the prior view. Source
  • Met: In the first-quarter release, management said it was pleased to deliver on its first-quarter financial targets.
  • On track: In the first-quarter release, management said DSA demand was tracking to its expectations.
  • Met: The first-quarter release said the sale was expected in May 2026; the second-quarter release reports it completed.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.